"The improving high school graduation rate is encouraging, especially for Hispanic students, but we still have a long way to go to ensure that every student gets a great, engaging education. The solution to continuing this positive trend is to invest in our public schools and fix low-performing schools, not close them. Students need public schools that engage them with robust course offerings, career and technical programs, and wraparound services and other supports for those at risk of dropping out. Students and communities benefit when schools devote resources to successful dropout prevention programs and services that lead to high school graduation, college completion and a successful career."

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The AFT represents 1.6 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state and local government employees; nurses and healthcare workers; and early childhood educators.

Our Mission

The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.